Swift As A Coursing River
Rushing Water "I think we were a bit lucky to run into a lake like this out here in the forest." Alaskiel sighed as he sat is back against a tree and watched Ono, who was swimming in the water, trying to grab them a bite to eat. "Lucky doesn't cut it." Tyrone was patching up his own wounds from earlier. "I think, had we not found this area, with these medicinal herbs combined with the magic you memorised, we'd have been shit out of luck a long time ago." Erza sighed, glancing around. "How many of these bastards do we have left? I mean we've been out here for a damn while, and it's like they'll keep on coming...Kinda tired too. And hungry. And sleepy. And...wait, these are first-world problems, let's just do it!" "Calm yourself, Erza." Tyrone snapped as Ono made a large splash down into into the water, pulling up two large catfish. She then fell into the water as the beasts made a wide jerking motion and tackled her down. No one paid her any attention. "I think, after we get some food in our stomachs, we should rest here for the night." Alaskiel began to twirl his hat on his head. Unbeknownst to them all, Ono was wrestling with the giant catfish, punching it in the lower body. "I have a feeling one of the fragments is here." Erza nodded. "Sounds like a good plan to me. I mean, where's the harm in it? Not like something will attack us in our sleep or something..." Though she was rightfully paranoid. "Naturally, one of us should keep watch. Dibs on not being first." "I'll give it the first go." Alaskiel replied, ducking just in time for the fish that flew over his head. "It'll be simple for me, my magic is better than all of yours, after all." He looked over at Ono again. "Hey, kid, you alright over there?" "Don't mind me!" Ono called back, bashing the nest fish against the shore. "Dinner is jumpy!" Erza sighed. "Want me to stab it's goddamn brains out? ...Well, at least it's not like that music where the bass is dropped halfway through the damn song and I have no idea why people like it so much...." ...Huh. "N-glub!" Ono was dragged underwater before she could reply, only to resurface, gasping. "I'm a ninja, I can do th-!" Dragged under yet again. "...Well, at least she has spirit!" Alaskiel shrugged. Erza laughed. "...So, she's a ninja. How did I not notice this? From what I know, ninja were basically rural types who had to think outside the bushido box, and therefore got a reputation for deception and trickery; the legends of mystical powers came later. It's like assigning magical powers to a league of talking turkeys and then having them topple governments and hire out to the highest bidding supervillain...Wait, I said that out-loud, didn't I? ...Dammit." She quickly shut up, hiding her face in embarrassment due to everyone looking at her funny. "You sure know some odd things." Tyrone looked at her blankly as Ono finally managed to drag four large fish out of the water, speared on wooden pikes, and jammed them into the ground. "With a bit of this..." She quickly made a roaring fire using her magic. "Dinner is now cooking!" Erza seemed to drool a little. "....Damn, have you ever had the feeling that you wanted to bite somebody's head off? That's how I feel right now. I'm so hungry that I could eat one of you." The three seemed to just have some agreement that Erza would continue to blabber about things that made no sense, and resigned to just let her talk. The fish were soon cooked, and they each took one and began to eat. "I'm actually wondering..." Ono said between bites. "What happens if we don't manage to destroy all these fragments?" "I see what you mean." Tyrone bit off a large piece of fish. "With only two advance teams for nine demons...the odds look bad." Erza made a bicep polishing gesture. "Ehhh, don'tcha worry 'bout it! I mean, we've been doing good so far. Let's keep up the good work, team!" "Even then, we still have to worry about the council." Alaskiel pointed out. "This 'lil hunting expedition...it's just distractin' from what Jason made Akatsuki for in the first place." Erza nodded. "Right, right. You'd think that they're not ONLY going after our guild, however. There's even bigger threats out there- focusing on us solely is not likely to go well, ya know?" "They're a government." Tyrone snorted. "Idiots run governments and you know it. I doubt anyone else is on their radar, and it's gonna be what brings them down." "Jason said he's simply waiting for the right time." Ono cut in. "And that this plan isn't all his, but someone else is backing it. It's quite obvious he's waiting on orders, isn't it? The Council is just running on borrowed time." "True, true. Though, that guy who's orderin' him around...he's shadier than one of those guys from Bosco. What with their natural sport of cross country and all that. How the hell does somebody actually trust the guy...if it were me I'd kill him on sight. Ah well, some people aren't as powerful, majestic, or as smart as me. Can't blame LaHote for toleratin' him." "I suppose it's like why I chose Jason." Ono shrugged. "As a ninja, if you're given the chance to choose your master, you'll choose the one you can work with best. Jason took me in, gave me a home, I'd fight for him even if he turned against the world. That man must be of a certain use to Jason, or there's no reason he'd stand his existence." "Good point. Still don't trust that asshole though. It's like, he's a riddle wrapped in a mystery, clothed in an enigma. If he pulls some shit, I'll be the one to end his life." Erza was fairly serious for once on this subject matter. "Either way..." Ono yawned, gathering the bones of their finished dinner and throwing them into the lake. They'd decay there and become some form of nourishment to nature. "I think we should all get some shut-eye. Who is staying up to watch anyway?" "Me." Alaskiel raised his hand, even though he looked like he'd really love some sleep himself. "You all get some shut-eye, I won't let nothin' kill you." "...Real comforting guard." Tyrone shrugged, before settling down near a tree and knocking out immediately, snoring loudly. Erza stretched her limbs; letting out a lion-like howl- or rather, a yawn- before instantly falling asleep. "...Zzzzzzz....n-no, I don't want to feed grandma bacon while she's in the tub..." Alaskiel yawned, and conjured a golem. "Keep watch. I'm gonna catch some shuteye." Alaskiel ordered as he also knocked out, leaving everyone asleep with just the horse to guard them. On A Shell Of Time While the group was catching some z's; a lone figure slowly snuck up upon them-from the looks of it, it was very attractive young girl, with a slender figure, large golden eyes, and long flowing blue hair which is tied into a ponytail at the very back. Her hair had two strands of hair extended from the top of her brow, resembling the antenna of a butterfly. Her wardrobe consisted of black tights, a dark green skirt with a brown trim, a navy blue blazer and a light blue bow tie. Raising her hand slightly, the woman had her magical energy amass around her hand; before materializing a crimson blade engulfed in fire in place of her hand. With one fell swoop, the woman took down the golem; in one strike; an impressive display. Happening upon the quartet of the Akatsuki guild members, she charged magical energy within her blade, multiplying the flames significantly...attempting to assassinate them all at once. She swung her blade down... ...*CLANG!* The sound of steel and steel colliding resounded throughout the area, as the member of the Shadow Remnants, Rea Safaia; was parried by Erza, whose eyes pierced Rea's own, shouting as to deliberately wake everyone up, "The hell are you!?" The three immediately snapped out of it, Tyrone being the first to cry out. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?" Alaskiel groaned. "Damn...my golemn was destroyed!" "Attacked while sleeping..." Ono sighed. "I'm brought shame to my family." Erza snapped, "Enough with your ninja stuff, Bushido Betty! We've got a foe afoot!" The clash of the twin blades managed to knock Rea back. "In that case, CRUSH IT INTO THE GROUND!" Tyrone made a blind charge, running towards Rea and swinging his mighty hammer down towards her body. "Jumping in, as usual..." Alaskiel sighed. Rea's expression remained serenely cheerful, smiling, "Oh haisies Akatsuki! Now, if you don't mind, I'll be fighting you guys until my real target arrives." Her arm morphed into a powerful buster cannon; from which she launched a stream of fire towards Tyrone, all while remaining in clashing blades with Erza. "Real target...?" Alaskiel tossed those words over in his head. "Could it be....!" "No way I'm getting beaten down by a little girl!" Tyrone immersed himself in lightning, feeling the energy spread throughout his body as his muscle mass increased, and it enhanced him in speed, durability, and sheer destructive force. "LIGHTNING BREAK!" He swung his hammer down into the ground, releasing large pillars of lightning all around. Such a spell was not meant for group combat, but when Tyrone was infuriated, neither was he. Rea converted her leg into an armoured one; absorbing the lightning by way of a "lightning rod". Normally, this would be painful, but the flames that she possessed managed to nullify the lightning. She grinned at Tyrone smugly, before projecting a firey appiration of herself towards him, beginning to attack him. She turned back to Erza, knocking her away while gunning for Alaskiel. "Whoa now!" Alaskiel jumped slid around the nearest tree, jumping back over the water. "Why do you have to go for me, pretty lady?" He asked, skidding along the water like a basilisk. "Alaskiel, why are you running!?" Ono snapped at him! "I make it a point not to bruise a pretty lady's face." Alaskiel replied as if this was a natural thing. "IDIOT!" During this distraction, Tyrone had easily crushed the apparition, and, with surprising speed for someone his size, had appeared behind Rea, slamming his fist towards her head. Rea flared up her magical aura; releasing a cascade of flame to intercept Tyrone's strike. "Haha! So predictable!" Erza swung her blade forward, managing to catch Rea by surprise this time, who reacted with a shrill shriek; while Erza's blade crashed along her magical armour, blowing her away. Tyrone persisted, not having felt the flames scratch his body at all as he followed the woman's tumbling form, swinging his mighty hammer towards her side. Rea's body transformed into flames; blowing the hammer out of Tyrone's hands while catching herself, swinging upwards to blow the man away. Erza dashed forward, applying Gravity Change as to boost her speed- swinging her blade fiercely in an arc to catch Rea in the tip of the sword's swing... ...but Rea deflected the strike with her own sword, catching Erza's blade with her left hand before knocking her away with a kick. "...Oh, come on. This is TOO easy." However, their little skirmish was soon to be interrupted. The water Alaskiel had been standing on was churning, beginning to froth and bubble as it flooded the shore. From the water rose a gleaming, onyx-coloured beast. Upon closer inspection, it was a large, black, turtle-like beast, gleaming in the moonlight. On it's head rode Alaskiel. "This was your target, pretty lady?" Alaskiel called out to Rea. "Well boys and girls....iiiiiiiiiit's heeeeeeeeeeere!" He called out into the night, truly hamming it up as they say. Erza blinked at the guy shouting around like he was in a play. "...Huh. He reminds me of that guy from that comic book with the bat-dude and his clown enemy. The clown guy, he does. ...Explains why he's not so serious." "This....it's huge..." Ono actually felt her legs shaking for a moment. "This...and it's just a fragment...." Alaskiel's hands began to glow as he slammed it straight down onto the beasts neck, causing it to roar in pain as it fell down into the shallows, and Alaskiel slid off it's head, landing next to Ono. "Calm down. We're Akatsuki after all." Rea's eyes widened as she stuttered, "G-Genbu!? Aaaah, there is it! Give it here, please!" She seemed unusually polite for a member of the Dark Guild; almost uncannily so. Erza slammed into her, shoulder-first. "The hell you're gettin' yer hands on that turtle, girl!" her tone was fierce—gripping her blade, she leapt into the air and attempted to impale Rea violently. "Calm down, ladies." Alaskiel grinned. He turned to the girl. "What is your name? You never introduced yaself, before trying to cut into our bodies." Rea responded with a warm smile. "My name is Rea. Rea Safia from the Shadow Remnants. I never got your names, either..." she looked up at Erza, dodging her meteor move with a stunning back-flip. "And your names are? I know Titania...but I've never heard of you others." "Tyrone." The man grunted, confused as to why they were being friendly now. "I'm Ono Otsu." Alaskiel walked over to Rea, taking her hand in his. "I'm Alaskiel Salo. Rea, this may be a terrible time, considerin' we've got that big guy to deal with, but, would you like to become my girlfriend?" "S-so forward!" Ono gasped, torn between confusion and irritation at Alaskiel's behaviour. Erza immediately ceased attacking Rea and merely gawked. "What is this I don't even..." Rea, meanwhile, went all red-faced at Alaskeil's proposal of sorts. tempted to run over and smack him in the face. "...S-Stupid dummy!" She turned away, stopping in her tracks- even though Erza could have hurt her in that position, she refused to. "....I guess you are kinda handsome..." "Then it's settled!" Alaskiel wrapped his arm around the girl's shoulders, pulling her in. "Is this really the fucking time to be trying to get laid!?" Tyrone snapped. "That giant turtle is about to get back up and we have to smash it to pieces!" "Oh, that's right! I forgot it existed!" Alaskiel smacked his hand into his forehead. "...when will I figure out that hurts?" He looked at Rea. "Why don't you help us? We're here for the same goal anyway. Let's work together and kill it." Rea clenced her fists. "Take Over...Valdios!" She became surrounded in flame, which compressed around her and shaped into a bathing suit dark-blue piece with her arms fully covered, as were her legs. Her entire front was exposed, except for her lower region, and the exact center of her breasts. Around each wrist was a glowing golden ring segment, while at her neck, hips, feet, and on top of the glove was a glowing green circle. Upon her arms and legs were mecha-style pieces of armor; armored arms and legs that were mostly black and gray in texture. She essentially, became a "mobile suit human". It was kinda cute, yet fearsome at the same time. "Hiyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Rea ran towards Genbu, manifesting a torrent of flames around her wrist while punching forward. "Flame God's..." The flames shot forward in the form of a pillar. "...Iron Fist!" Genbu reacted without hesitation, raising it's head and sending a flow of water to stop the flames shooting in it's direction. " GWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH! " Raising it's head towards the moon, it let out a bloodcurdling cry. Alaskiel's usually squinting eyes fully opened wide in surprise. "It's certainly a loud thing." "But it's still a turtle!" Ono said as if this was the key to the answer of the mysteries of the universe. "...What's your point, kid?" Tyrone obviously didn't get it. "Flip it onto it's side!" Ono waved her hands dramatically. "It'll be so busy flailing we can pierce the softer underbelly, and kill it!" Erza protested. "What if it clones itself...and the two soft fleshy undersides join together? Then it's INVINCIBLE." "...Erza, you kinda have lost it." Alaskiel sighed, before pointing a hand towards the large beast, a small dagger slipping out of his sleeve. "Memory Make: Dancing Serpents." With great speed, the blade extended like a flash of light, snaking it's way around Genbu's feet, slashing at it's legs in an attempt to put it off balance. "Rea my dear, have a go!" "Flame God's..." Rea charged up black flames within her mouth. "...Bellow!" She released the flames as a powerful fireball that blasted Genbu's leg; causing it to become useless. Erza darted around to another one of Genbu's legs, shouting, "Bakursaiga!" Instantly, she flung a light green wave of energy from her blade to the demon's leg, throwing it further off balance with that single attack. " GWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH! " Genbu let out another glass-shattering as it created a sphere of water which surrounded it, deflecting the energy wave and the Flames of God. However, to become even more shocking, the leg that Rea and Erza had destroyed regenerated, becoming fully fuctional as the beast regained it's balance. "...What is this beast?" Ono seemed to be more rooted in place with surprise and fear than anything else, as Tyrone shot right by her, swinging his hammer and releasing a shockwave of air that Genbu shrugged off before slamming the man deep into the ground. "Aye aye aye..." Alaskiel sighed, a long, over-dramatic sigh. "These beasties are getting worse by the day." Erza pouted. "They're getting stronger...Why, the bloody hell, do we only have ONE healer. ..Wait, it was two. But really, seven beasts...We'll be damn lucky if we manage to mow through them all...." Nevertheless, she slashed away at Genbu wildly, showing very little signs of exhaustion. The beast lowered it's head and raised it's body, using it's diamond-hard shell to block the attacks from Erza's blade with little problem at all. In fact, not a single scratch was left on it. The entire group reorganised with each other, looking up at the beast they were trying to kill. "My my my..." Alaskiel sighed. "I didn't expect that 'ol boy to actually give us any trouble...I frequently shot turtles as a child from a few miles away for sport." "None of us are trying hard enough!" Tyrone slammed his fist into the ground, creating a minor crater. "With enough force, anything can be crushed!" Rea declared, "Flame God's Flame Song!" She compressed a large amount of magical energy built up inside her body and changed it into a multitude of dragon head-shaped black fireballs which she launched at Genbu. Erza IMMEDIATELY stopped in her tracks before sprinting over to Rea, grabbing her by the collar, and shaking her violently, "Goddammit, pay attention! We're gonna do this..." She thrust her hand forward, releasing a small pulse of magical energy that affected Genbu; lifting the Black Tortoise into the air. "Okay, Tyrone, flip it over NOW!" Tyrone leapt into the air, swinging his hammer up towards the beasts mighty shell and causing it to spin in the air and crash into the ground on it's back, writhing like any other turtle or tortoise would, unable to regain it's own balance. "Ono, go!" "R-right!" The girl's fear vanished as she saw the beast was unable to make any move towards harming her. She raised both of her arms into the air, touching the back of her fists. Light blue electricity began to crackle around her body, primarily around her hands as she charged her own magical power. Her fists fully became surrounded by a blue electric aura she she brought them down in front of her. "Thunder!" She called out the spell's rather generic name before releasing a beam composed entirely of light blue electricity. As the thunder crashed down, Genbu was paralyzed and shocked deeply. Naturally lightning + water = super effective, or so that battle monsters series said. Erza clenched her blade, before applying Gravity Change to herself in order to leap high into the air. Swinging her blade around her shoulder,Erza aimed it directly downwards at Genbu. "Now! Finishing Attack! ENDING BLOW!" Aiming her sword downwards, Erza's speed accelerated until she reached an overwhelming velocity, piercing Genbu's fleshy underbelly violently, finishing the beast off in a flashy yet brutal display. "Well, ain't that damn flashy." Alaskiel grinned as blood splashed everywhere. "It would appear we've managed to slay yet another of these fragments." He grinned, or, rather, grinned wider than normal as he turned to Rea. "What will you do now, Rea? Will you head back to your guild? Or stay with us?" However, before Rea could even toss around an answer, even if she had been considering it, a cloaked form materialised by her side, and it's features quickly became apparent that it was Anguis Bane. "My my my...it would appear you've made some friends, Rea-san." Rea immediately froze up. "A-Anguis...!" She couldn't say anything; but she did attempt to run to Alaskiel, trying to grab his hand as to escape this man. Erza grasped her sword; pointing it at Anguis. "Oi, you. She's one of ours, now. If you so much as harm one hair on her head, yer in for a world of hurt." Alaskiel immediately reached out and snatched Rea into his arms, away from Anguis who did not react at all, the man's normally squinted eyes open in a piercing glare. "Oho, so you're Erza-san..." Anguis chuckled a bit to himself. "You really do look just alike." He raised a scaled hand to his forehead. "Calm yourself, the lot of you. I have nothing against Rea-san being overly friendly with Alaskiel-san. I won't even breathe a word to Crux-san." "How do we know you're speaking the truth?" Ono snapped. Everyone seemed ready to strike this man. "Because, my dear, I have recently met with your other advanced squadron, and I have done them no harm. In fact, we took down that fragment together, much like you have just done with Rea-san." He seemed enthralled at the idea of the two guilds working in tandem. "I even welcome our two guilds working together - that is, until we reach our goals. And, Rea-san's power is very much needed to reach those goals. So, while I will mention none of this to Crux-san, she will still have to come back with me." Alaskiel twitched, as if fighting off a very violent fly. Erza was barely held back; stopping herself from running towards the bastard and bisecting him. "Do I have to make a snake cake!? Rea is now property of the Akatsuki guild, and damned if I'll let your mob of jackasses lay a hand on her!" Erza sounded less like the immature Christmas cake she was, and more like an overprotective mother. "It would appear you won't let me just take back what belongs to Crux-sa-" SLASH. At that instant, blood spurted from Anguis cheeks. Alaskiel, without being seen by anyone, had struck him with the Dancing Serpents spell, is dagger in the hand that wasn't keeping Rea attached to him "Ya see...talking and talking...it really gets quite borin', ya know? Rea has decided to side with us. You, on the other hand, have no place here, or any place referring to Rea as the property of "Crux"." Alaskiel began to glow ripe with magical power, raising a hand above his head. Shadowy constructs began to surround Anguis, much to the bespectacled man's surprise. "Th-this spell!" He hissed. "You can't be-!" "I'm always quite serious." Alaskiel replied, his eyes glowing well with the intent to murder. "Memory-Make-!" However, he was cut short, as Anguis began to fade into the ground. "I can take a point, and see where I am not wanted. Rea-san, your guild mark has removed itself. You are no longer affiliated with the Shadow Remnants." He actually sounded disappointed. "Though, I wish you the best of luck with this man, he seems very intent on protecting you." The aura and constructs died down, as Alaskiel's eyes watched the spot where the man had vanished. Erza sighed, "Well, I was expecting to be the one to take him down. I mean, yakknow, I've been the one taking down the big nasties. I'm technically leading this operation, and you should all bow in my greatness." Again, she was on a power trip. Rea's eyes lit up as she ran into Alaskiel's arms. "Hooraaaaaaaaaaay! I...I didn't know if I'd have to be forever trapped there...but you cleared away the shadows...and helped me see the dawn...thank you..." Alaskiel smiled, a surprisingly gentle smile coming from him. "Of course. We'll have all th' time in the world to get to know each other." "How cuuuute." Ono seemed to very much like what was happening. Erza glanced away, glowing with jealousy. "...Come on. I mean we have three more to go! No time to play around; we're gonna go nasty slayin'." "There can't be too many more left!" Ono was happyy at the thought of them nearly being finished with this. "Let's go slay the rest!" END